WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1988
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ROLE OF ORTHOPTISTS EXPLAINED
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THE GOVERNMENT TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME IN ORTHOPTICS AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA COURSE IN OPTOMETRY HAVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON ADOLF HSU, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON EDWARD HO, MR HSU EXPLAINED THAT ORTHOPTISTS WERE DEPLOYEDIN THE OPHTHALMIC SERVICE TO ASSIST OPHTHALMOLOGISTS IN DEALING WITH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH BINOCULAR FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CERTAIN EYE CONDITIONS, IN PARTICULAR, SQUINTS AND LAZY EYES.
"THEY ARE NOT PRACTISING OPTOMETRY, HE SAID.
AS AN ORTHOPTIST
THE REQUISITE QUALIFICATION FOR APPOINTMENT IN THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS A DIPLOMA OF THE BRITISH ORTHOPTIC COUNCIL, OR ITS EQUIVALENT, OR A DIPLOMA OF THE ORTHOPTIC BOARD OF AUSTRALIA, MR HSU EXPLAINED.
H NEITHER OF THESE IS OBTAINABLE LOCALLY, AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE IN SUPPLY OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES IN THE LOCAL MARKET."
MR HSU SAID THE OFFER OF GOVERNMENT TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS IN ORTHOPTICS WAS TO ENABLE SELECTED CANDIDATES FROM WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE TO RECEIVE A THREE-YEAR TRAINING PROGRAMME, EITHER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OR AUSTRALIA, SO AS то ATTAIN THE REQUISITE QUALIFICATION FOR APPOINTMENT AS AN ORTHOPTIST IN THE MEDICAL AND
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
OPTOMETRISTS, ON THE OTHER HAND, WERE TRAINED IN THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AT PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMA LEVEL.
THE SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR OPTOMETRISTS INCLUDED: TESTING VISION; PRESCRIBING OPTICAL APPLIANCES; FITTING OPTICAL APPLIANCES; OR SUPPLYING OPTICAL APPLIANCES ON PRESCRIPTION.
THEY WERE NOT QUALIFIED TO PRACTISE ORTHOPTICS.
OVERALL, MR HSU SAID A SIMILAR SITUATION EXISTED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA WHERE DIFFERENT TRAINING PROGRAMMES ORTHOPTISTS AND OPTOMETRISTS WERE PROVIDED.
FOR
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